Places to Stay for the Edinburgh Festival

Edinburgh Fringe Festival hits the city on 1st August 2014, and hotels are notoriously booked up in advance. Stay ahead of the game and book one of our favourite central crashpads, (or a friendly B&B away from the crowds) to avoid disappointment...

The Caledonian

Perched beneath Edinburgh Castle’s craggy silhouette, ‘the Caley’ is a lofty, refined place to escape the hubbub of the festival and relax after a long day pounding the pavements following the latest comedy act (or finding the next pub).

Each room is fitted with all the mod-cons, from iPod docks to Nespresso machines and Ferragamo toiletries. Framed by the postcard-perfect views of the awe-inspiring castle, the rooms, with their plush beds and cosy, inviting robes are almost enough to tempt you to miss the show altogether.

One Royal Circus

Just a little further away from the action, in the grand New Town, is the ultra-stylish boutique B&B, One Royal Circus, favourite stay of the likes of everyone from JK Rowling and Kirsty Wark to Samantha Morton and Ewan McGregor.

Owned and refurbished by architect Mike Gordon and his wife Susan, it mixes effortlessly cool interiors with the original elegance of a Georgian premises (from the gorgeous high ceilings, sweeping staircase, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and huge windows overlooking the private gardens), with a genuinely relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Prestonfield

For the most atmospheric post-Festival crashpad, Prestonfield is the place. A grand castle set high above the city and surrounded by the wild hills and lochs of Hollyrood Park, its rooms are lavishly decorated and pretty seriously indulgent.

It’s also a pleasant stroll of just over a mile down to the lecture theatres of the University of Edinburgh and the Potterow Student Union where The Pleasance Theatre Company set up shop for the Fringe. (With a steep climb back up again, you’re probably best off taking a taxi at the end of the night…)

Ardmor House

If escaping the hullaballoo at the end of a day is more what you had in mind, Edinburgh’s a pretty compact city, and there’s much to be said for getting away from the centre.

The cheapest of our pick of places to stay for the Edinburgh Festival is Ardmor House. Owner Robin Jack is a mine of information on everything to do with the city, and will be more than happy to give you his own insider's take on the highlights of the Festival. Crucially, he also knocks up a mean, hangover-kicking cooked breakfast.

The Rutland Hotel

For those looking for a central 'home away from home' in Edinburgh, The Rutland Hotel Apartment offers an excellent solution. The apartment is part of the Rutland hotel, which comprises of 12 chic rooms, a bar, nightclub and the newly refurbished Kyloe Restaurant and Grill, lying literally in the shadow of the castle.

What makes it unique is that it has the privacy of a private residence with the convenience of a hotel. However, it’s the 85-seat Kyloe Restaurant and Grill over at the main hotel that really steals the show, with Head Chef David Haetzman offering up to eight different, perfectly cooked, premium cuts of Aberdeen Angus steak in sleek, stylish surroundings.

Hotel du Vin Edinburgh

You can't really go wrong with a Hotel du Vin, but Edinburgh's is one of the best. Located in the heart of the Old Town, a stone’s throw from the Royal Mile, the 47 rooms are spacious and decorated in the usual muted colours, while bathrooms are amply stocked with own-branded products and fluffy white towels.

Downstairs there's a large restaurant with a very welcoming ambience, as well as a cosy bar with a fireplace and comfortable club chairs, where you can kick back with a large gin and tonic after a hard day out and about at the shows.

Tigerlily

If you prefer to stay right in the heart of the action, Tigerlily is a couple of doors down from major Festival venue the Assembly Rooms. It’s just on the other side of Princes Street Gardens, plus a couple of major Fringe hubs, Bedlam Theatre and the Traverse Theatre.

Perhaps most interesting, though, is the fact it's got its own on-site bar/club for post-show partying...

Snoozebox

Finally, a red herring that'll make you rethink camping forever more. Providing quite simply a box in which you can snooze, portable hotel Snoozebox will set up at the heart of Edinburgh Festival, offering an alternative to overpriced, out-of-the-way hotels.

Starting from £99 a night, the rooms each hold three people (while sleeping, anyway) and feature everything you need for a decent night's rest - a comfortable double bed plus a single bunk, a wet room (with shower, toilet and sink) a flat screen TV, personal safe, plug sockets, a little wardrobe hanging space and even daily maid service.

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